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How to take ACTION to defy the National Security Agency electronic surveillance system

Using the powers granted under the FISA Amendments Act and Patriot Act to establish unreasonable search and seizure of Americans’ homes, records, and communications by government agents, without any suspicion of a crime, the American military has moved its spies into almost every American home. These military spies, headquartered at the National Security Agency, have been watching ordinary Americans, to see what we do, who we talk to, what we buy – practically everything that we do. These days, there’s an electronic record of practically everything that we do, and the military’s spies at the NSA have seized control of that record.

Those who remember how governments have used surveillance systems in the past understand the danger that this military system spying against Americans poses to our liberty. Never before, however, has there been a surveillance system anything close to this large deployed by a military against a civilian population. The possible consequences, if this military spying network is allowed to survive, are terrifying.

SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

It’s a early yet to know what form the resistance to project PRISM and the other unconstitutional NSA spying systems will be. Please, if you know of any protests being organized, post them in the comments section of this article.

Here are some initial opportunities for activism on this issue, however:

Street Protest

Live near New York City? Activists are gathering at 12:00 noon today at Union Square in New York City.

Another protest is being organized to take place outside the Boston headquarters of Verizon, on June 14.

Over on the West Coast, how about we crash Netroots Nation? Netroots Nation is an annual gathering of online activists who typically applaud Democratic Party politicians. We have discovered that Democratic Party politicians have joined with George W. Bush’s Republicans to body slam our online privacy, so it’s time for Netroots Nation to start talking back to the Democratic Party, don’t you think? Netroots Nation is meeting in just 10 days from now in San Jose, California.

Call your U.S. Representative and 2 U.S. Senators. Yes, this sounds hokey, but if these politicians in Congress do not hear from their constituents, they will interpret that silence as approval of the NSA spying programs. The congressional switchboard is at (202) 224-3121

Call the National Security Agency on your Verizon phone. When someone answers the phone, just say, “I am calling on a Verizon telephone. You should know that this call is being tracked by government spies.”

I’m endorsing this next one with a BIG asterisk: Consider contributing to a legal defense fund for Edward Snowden. The asterisk is that I want to confirm that we have some way of knowing that the money is really going to a legal defense fund for Edward Snowden before I fully recommend action on this front… I’ll check back in with that information.

Boycott the Searched Online Services

The security of Yahoo, AOL, Facebook, Google, Hotmail, etc. has been compromised. One way you can protest the NSA is to cut them off – by logging out of these systems, and deleting the cookies put on your computer by these companies to track your activities.

If Facebook activity plunges, and if people find alternatives to Google, members of Congress are going to start getting some passionate attention from freaked out tech company lobbyists.

Online Activism

Be careful of this one. Protest organizers should be wary of using social media, what with the National Security Agency using places like Facebook to spy on Americans.

Still, if you really must stay on Facebook, at least use your account to keep awareness of this issue alive. Even though it annoys your friends who only want to see muffin recipes and pictures of kittens, keep posting links to news, and to protests related to the NSA spying program. Change your profile graphic to… oh, I don’t know, here’s an example over to the right.

OCCUPY!

It’s time for the Occupy Movement to get back on it’s feet, don’t you think? Contact the people you met during your participation in the Occupy protests, and organize a new wave of action!

7 thoughts on“How to take ACTION to defy the National Security Agency electronic surveillance system”

J., at the risk of becoming completely odious commenting on a site that is funded in part by the sale of protest paraphernalia I really must say that calling your Representative and two U.S. Senators is not the least bit “hokey” as you fear some of your readers may adjudge. Street protests may have some unquantifiable fraction of influence in getting your message out but calls to your reps are far more potent than you seem to think.

As of right now, there are 33,263 signatures. Make that 33,274. No, make that 33,278… will you add one more? If there are 100,000 signatures, the Obama administration must “respond” to it in writing, even if they do not agree to it.

The 301-688-6672 number is from NSA CONTRACTORS. The National Security Agency Contrators called me. They opperate out of 9800 Savage RD 6890 FT. George G Mead, MD 20755-6890. Tellphone number 301688-6672.

It is a time of fear in the face of freedom, a time of an emptying country and swelling cities, a time for the widening of previous roads and the opening of new paths, yet a time when these paths are mined by knowing algorithms of the all-seeing eye. It is the time of the warrior's peace and the miser's charity, when the planting of a seed is an act of conscientious objection. These are the times when maps fade, old landmarks crumble and direction is lost. Forwards is backwards now, so we glance sideways at the strange lands through which we are all passing, knowing for certain only that our destination has disappeared. We are unready to meet these times, but we proceed nonetheless, adapting as we wander, reshaping the Earth with every tread. Behind us we have left the old times, the standard times, the high times. Welcome to the irregular times.